…and imagine we’ve been at war with it for fourteen years. Write a love story set in that world.
I carried Judy’s picture for two years. No matter where I ended up, it was always there in my breast pocket close to my heart. She never left my thoughts, even when I was sure the Brazilians would get me for sure. And on those hot humid nights, when the rain wouldn’t stop pouring and I could barely breathe, the thought of her laying next to my in bed, softly snoring, gave me strength to carry on. I would write her letters everyday and get responses back, letting me know how she was and that she missed me.
Even when my unit got ambushed in Chile and I was taken prisoner, I knew I’d come home to her. It was never a question of if, only when. No matter what they did to me, I held on for her. As the days turned to weeks and hunger and pain was all the world that I knew, Judy was my light to bring me back. The day they discovered her picture and took it away was one of the most devastating blows they could have ever dealt me, but I persevered.
In my faith, I wasn’t surprised when the bombs fell and military moved in, freeing us all. Then, I couldn’t get home fast enough. I had to see Judy, to touch her, to let her know that I was okay and I would never her again for as long as we lived.
As I approach the house, I see her sitting on the porch waiting. Mom told me that’s all she did, everyday. Just sit and wait for me. We pull up and she perks up with attention. Then I get out and she’s already off the porch and across the yard. She plows into me, nearly knocking me to the ground and popping my stitches, but I only laugh as I put my arms around her.
I can barely keep her still as she nuzzles my head and licks my cheek, her tail wagging furiously. After a few minutes, I’m finally able to get her off of me and I head into the house to see my parents. Judy is close by my side, as if promising to never let me out of her sight again.
Behind the Random: As soon as I read the assignment, I knew this wasn’t going to be about a person. I can’t think of anything more boring than writing about two people in love. But the loyalty of a person and their dog always tugs at the heart with me. Oh, and why Brazil as the country? Because they’re rarely international news unless it’s soccer related and it was the first major country that popped into my head that isn’t already engaged in a war or controversy already.
642 Things 